Delta details Los Angeles International Airport terminal upgrades

Not long after Delta Air Lines executives finished bragging about the carrier's $229 million terminal renovation at Los Angeles International Airport, six paparazzi appeared, seemingly out of the ether.

They had spotted some celebrity and they chased her as she walked to the security line.

It was business as usual at the terminal - at least for now.

By the time the airline's project is completed in 2015, celebrities, as well as important high-fare passengers, will have access to a new VIP check-in lobby designed to insulate them from the hassles of travel. And that likely means no more paparazzi.

It's one in a series of improvements Atlanta-based Delta plans for its Terminal 5 at LAX, and it comes as the airline invests heavily in its Los Angeles product. On peak days this summer, the airline - the third-largest at LAX by market share - will have 118 departures, or about double the number of flights it had as recently as 2006.

Most of the project will eventually be paid for by Los Angeles World Airports, the airport's owner and operator, although Delta will kick in about $12 million and federal grants are expected to defray about $25 million.

Improving airport infrastructure has been a priority for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who attended an event Thursday to highlight Delta's renovations. In all, airport officials said they're spending more than $4 billion on LAX, and just about every spot in the facility is being upgraded. The biggest piece is a more than $1.5 billion international terminal scheduled to partially open this summer.

"Let's be honest," Villaraigosa said, "we hadn't done anything to this airport since 1984, and it showed in the worst way. Now, whether it's improving concessions and terminals, or the new international terminal, we're ready. We're ready for a better customer experience. "

Delta's project will be completed in several phases. In October, airline officials say they expect to open a new west-side of their ticketing lobby and a new baggage claim facility. When the entire project is finished, the airline will have doubled the size of its ticketing lobby and security screening area. Lighting will change, giving the terminal what airline officials call a fresher look.

"Our objective is to streamline and improve the customer experience within our existing footprint," said Ranjan Goswami, Delta's managing director of West Coast sales.

The upgrades will also include new carpeting and tiles as well as additional recharging stations for electronic devices.

Delta will also renovate its SkyClub passenger lounge. But the club will not have an outdoor viewing deck, an element popular with fliers that the airline is introducing in New York and Atlanta.